Volume 29: Lines We Cross
Volume 29: Lines We Cross is the twenty-ninth volume of Image Comics' The Walking Dead that includes issues 169-174. Recent events have thrown Alexandria into turmoil, and now Rick, Dwight, Eugene and Negan all have something to prove. Plot Carl is mourning by Andrea's grave when Lydia approaches him. He tells her about Ben and how he had to be the one to kill him. He reveals that he told Andrea about it himself and despite this, she still said she loved him. It was from then that he started calling her mom. Rick walks through the burial ground and finds Maggie, and they go inside to talk. Maggie expresses her anger that Negan is out of his cell, but Rick admits that when he thinks about how many husbands and wives he has killed, he wonders what makes him any different to Negan. He reassures her that although he is unable to kill him or lock him up again, he will be on his way soon. Maggie remains skeptical. Eugene explains to Stephanie what has been happening in Alexandria, and is shocked when he learns she spoke to Siddiq. At that moment, he and Rick arrive at the house and demand to know about the radio. Despite her reluctance, Eugene vouches for Rick and tells Stephanie he can be trusted and the two have a conversation. Rick suggests they should form a route to her community, and she asks for a day to discuss the idea with her people. Rick plans to gather a small team to send to Ohio, and he agrees when Eugene insists he should be on the team. He asks Dwight if he has seen Jesus, and Dwight snaps back he has been too busy which Rick will get all the credit for. Rick says they will talk later. Carl notices the Hilltop residents packing up and insists despite what has happened, he will be going back with them to help rebuild. Maggie asks about his father and Carl says he doesn’t need him there. Maggie asks what he needs, and he says he needs to live his own life somewhere away from Alexandria. Rick tells Jesus he wants him to be part of the team that is travelling to Ohio. Jesus declines and tells him he has something worth staying for but will go if desperately needed. Rick suggests Aaron go instead, to which Jesus reveals they are in a relationship and he won’t want to go either. Rick says he is happy for them. That night, Rick approaches Dwight on his porch and says he needs him to go to Ohio. Dwight bluntly declines and instead states that Rick’s time is done and he should run things. He said his decisions have consequences but he is confident that because he is the one doing it, it is the right thing to do even if that means killing the woman he loved. Rick protests that Sherry attacked him and he defended himself, but Dwight argues he only has his word to go on. He says that he escalated a confrontation with the Saviors at a time when they could not afford one, and then let Negan – a man they cannot trust – defuse that situation. Dwight insists he is being reasonable having this conversation behind closed doors, but Rick tells him the conversation is over and that he is going to be watching him. He tells him to keep one thing in mind – he has a rage boiling inside of him that is hard to control, and at this point what is one more grave? Michonne asks Rick about the trip to Ohio, but he tells her he needs her elsewhere. She says the Kingdom will be busy and now is a bad time for her to swoop in and shake things up. Rick says he needs her in Alexandria, but Michonne insists she is going on the trip and she will take Magna, Yumiko and Siddiq. She tells him to take care of himself as Carl approaches and tells him he's going back to the Hilltop. They hug and Rick tells him he's proud that he wants to live his life. Dwight is watching Negan as he packs up some supplies. He says he is planning to go back to the neighborhood where he buried Lucille and leaves Alexandria without a goodbye. Maggie and the Hilltop residents are close behind, and she asks Dwight to take care of Rick. The team also leave for Ohio, and Maggie asks Dante to follow Negan as she won't lose track of that monster. While the scavenge team start their journey to Ohio to meet Stephanie, Rick tells Jesus about the Dwight situation. Jesus promises to keep his eye on him. Annie asks Rick to check on Mikey, who had recently lost his mother. Maggie and Brianna continue their trip back to Hilltop as Maggie is lost in thought, not responding to Brianna's questions. Negan kills a couple walkers, cussing at them, as Dante watches him from the woods. Dwight and Laura talk about Rick. Laura tells him he never should have threatened Rick, but Dwight suggests he should have gone all the way. Dwight thinks Rick and Negan are no different, and Laura asks him does he really believe in that. Rick comforts Mikey, and talks about their losses. The scavenge team encounters a Kingdom guard, and ask how is it beyond the borders. He tells Michonne that he has no clue, in which Yumiko responds "exciting". Maggie and her group encounter William, who had been gathering supplies for an expansion of the Kingdom. Maggie thinks its too much to accept these gifts, but William insists that the Hilltop needs the resources more. Negan returns to Lucille's grave, and tells her he has no other place to go. As he cries, Dante continues watching him. At night, Eugene goes to urinate, while Siddiq keeps on watch. While he returns, he sees Magna and Yumiko kissing. Eugene starts to stare at them, until Siddiq screams. Eugene and the others reach him and kill the walkers around him. Eugene orders the group to move, since it's not safe in their current camp. Jesus talks to Aaron, and thinks they should move to Hilltop, before saying that he thinks he is in love with him. The group travelling to Ohio arrives in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, which at this point seems like a ghost town. They settle down for the night around the camp fire, and while the females of the group are talking, Siddiq confesses to Eugene that Rosita loved him. Eugene stares in anger. At this, Siddiq tells Eugene that he is sorry about Rosita, saying that he was trying to protect him by not revealing that he had gotten her pregnant; he also revealed that she was planning on leaving Eugene to be with him. After a moment, Eugene thanks Siddiq for telling him and the two share a laugh when Eugene states that she was wonderful, but had a 'questionable taste in men.' The next morning, Yumiko wishes to be able to scavenge for supplies from the buildings, but Michonne reminds her that they are on a timetable; she says they will have time on the way back. As they continue walking, Michonne yells out if anyone is there. Eventually, a young woman emerges, asking what they're doing. After she introduces herself as Juanita Sanchez, 'The Princess of Pittsburgh,' she mentions that they are the first people she's seen in over a year. Juanita asks if she can come with them, but Michonne says no due to them not knowing what she's capable of and vice-versa. Juanita offers to bring them to her shelter nearby. After arriving, Juanita tells Michonne to keep the gun while she goes in to get some supplies inside the building, while also telling her that she's got to work on her sense of humor. Yumiko says that they should let her tag along, commenting that at least the trip would be 'entertaining'. Michonne is about to ride away when Juanita comes out with a backpack and a large spear she found within the city. When asked if she can give back her gun, Michonne declines; Juanita shrugs it off, stating she has others. In Alexandria, Rick Grimes encounters Annie at the front gates bringing in a couple of horses. They talk about how Rick is worrying too much about the party taking such a long trip outside the walls and she leaves, telling Rick that Mikey is looking for him. Rick finds him working in the community's garden and helps teach him how to plant some seeds. At night, Aaron and Jesus decide to move from Alexandria back to the Hilltop colony; they find Rick sleeping at Andrea's grave and tell him their intentions. In the Hilltop, Carl marvels about how much progress has been made in rebuilding the colony, stating that it will look even better than before. Elsewhere, Maggie thanks William for all the hard work the Kingdom has done in helping to rebuild; he mentions that they will probably be doing the same for the Kingdom soon enough. He then tells Maggie that she seems to be distracted over the last few days; Maggie, thinking about where Negan is due to a map Dante brought her the previous day, says it's nothing. Carl goes over to Lydia, who thanks him again for accepting her even with how she's treated him recently. As they hug, Sophia looks at them from a distance. Back on the road, Michonne finally allows Juanita to join her in taking out some walkers, to the latter's excitement. While this is happening, Yumiko asks Magna if she'll go back 'to being straight' once they reach Ohio. Magna says it's not that simple, but Yumiko cuts her off; pointing to the others, she says they won't care and it's no use hiding the fact. She then blurts out to the others that the two of them are gay. Michonne offers a confused congratulations, Eugene & Siddiq say they already knew and Juanita says it's awesome. In Hilltop, as Lydia sleeps, Carl goes for a walk and finds Sophia. She tells Carl that she's seen him rapidly mature since he moved to the Hilltop and states that she misses her best friend; when asked about this, Sophia says she misses being with him. Carl agrees that he does still have some lingering feelings for her but due to being with Lydia right now, he doesn't want to go behind her back. Both agree they should talk again soon and go back to their tents on good terms. Meanwhile, a restless and fixated Maggie sits upright in her tent. Back in Alexandria, Rick thanks Jesus for staying longer than he intended in Alexandria and asks for Maggie to send Carl back if she can to report in. He says he'll do his best, then him and Aaron ride out to the Hilltop. During the night, Jesus is on watch duty and smiles at Aaron who's sleeping, thinking to himself that 'this one's going to last.' Beta suddenly and silently appears, looming over him and ready to strike. Fortunately, Jesus notices Beta out of the corner of his eye. He gets out of the way to avoid Beta's attack just in time and aims his rifle, but Beta causes him to miss his shot. Aaron hears this and wakes up to see the two fighting. He goes to help, but Jesus tells him to look out for other possible whisperers in the area. Paul avoids another strike but gets pinned down by Beta, claiming that they can't be left alive to report their status. Just then Aaron and Paul save each other by shooting Beta and a whisperer, respectively. They check Beta's pulse and take off his mask; they recognize Beta as a former professional basketball player who had it all and marvel how the apocalypse had changed him into the monster lying before them. Beta suddenly rises up and screams that he has no name and is no one, then finally falls over dead. Back at the Hilltop, Maggie is looking over the map given to her by Dante inside her tent. The latter comes inside and inquires if she has been outside at all today; she seems to ignore him, stating that Negan is out there & living like he doesn't have a care in the world. Dante goes to leave, but Maggie asks him to wait. Elsewhere, Carl and Lydia are seen eating lunch. Carl wants to get back to work but Lydia tells him to not worry about it, stating that he's been working too hard. Nearby, Sophia loses her grip on part of the load she's carrying; Carl runs over to help her while Lydia glares at them both suspiciously. Aaron and Jesus spot a campfire as they continue towards the Hilltop. At the camp, a small group of Whisperers await the return of Beta. One boy, Josh, says that he can't live like this and wishes to leave the group but another one, Mike, argues that the Whisperers have done this for a long time and have stayed alive, so they should at least try it; several others agree with Josh and banish Mike, who protests and wishes to stay. The other whisperers are swiftly killed by Aaron and Jesus, who arrive at the site; they ask if the remaining three want to join Alexandria and the Hilltop colonies. After hearing they don't follow the whisperer's way of living, Josh and the others immediately agree. In Alexandria, Rick is seen at Andrea's grave and returns to his house; Dwight and Laura watch him leave. Laura tells Dwight he shouldn't hold a grudge against Rick since he's grieving over how he lost his wife; but Dwight says they all are grieving. Laura snaps at him, saying that she's done with his constant moping and complaining over the fact he never seems to be happy and how Sherry died while trying to kill Rick. She leaves him, telling Dwight to come back when he's finished moping: "Maybe I'll still be interested in you." Meanwhile, Michonne, Eugene, Magna, Yumiko, Siddiq and Juanita are seen continuing their journey to Ohio; Juanita tries to lighten the mood by asking if she's the only one having fun on this trip. Later, they arrive at an abandoned train yard that was established as a rendezvous point: Eugene wonders where Stephanie and her group are since they are the only ones here. Suddenly, a bright light flashes at them with a voice yelling at the survivors to get their hands up. Elsewhere, Negan talks to himself whilst digging up a sunflower. A couple of roamers approach and, instead of killing them, he pushes them to the ground and runs off. He places the sunflower at his wife's makeshift grave. He says that this is his way of honoring her and that he is always thinking about her. He admits that sometimes he wishes he had died and she had lived, as she probably wouldn’t have ended up alone like he has. He fights back tears and returns to his house. Later, he shoots and kills a dog before eating it. He comes across a truck filled with canned food, only to discover they have expired. He spots a barn nearby and investigates. Inside, he finds a baseball bat but leaves without it. The next day at Lucille’s grave, he explains that he knows she is dead and that despite naming his baseball bat after her, he cannot replace her but he can replace the bat. He returns to the barn and takes the bat. He comes across some barbed wire and as he is wrapping it around the bat, Maggie and Dante show up. Maggie tells Dante to wait outside before asking Negan if he knows who she is. Negan says he does, and Maggie replies that he knows why she is there. Negan explains he understands that she was angry Rick locked him up instead of killing him and now he is able to roam free. He apologizes for killing Glenn and tells her he won’t fight back. Maggie yells that she knows he is trying to get sympathy from her, but she won’t fall for it after what he did. Negan tells her it is no act and he has had years to think about his actions. He believed at the time killing Glenn was what he needed to do. It wasn’t until Rick showed him the way that he realized what he had done. He says that if Glenn was her Lucille then he feels her pain. Maggie asks if he remembers his wife’s face and voice, and Negan smiles as he says he does. Maggie tells him every time she tries to picture Glenn, all she can see is him screaming her name with his skull bashed in and his eye hanging out. And with that, she sees Negan smiling. Negan tells Maggie to kill him as he deserves it. Maggie looks at the bat, and Negan says although it would be painful, he’d understand how satisfying it would be for her. Maggie laments and says she won’t kill him, but Negan grabs her wrist and holds the gun to his head. He says he can’t live alone like this and starts reminding her about Glenn and his death, begging her to pull the trigger. Maggie refuses to give him what he wants, saying he must live with what he has done as she leaves the barn. Outside, Dante asks if she killed him. Maggie says he wasn’t worth it and shoots a couple of roamers before turning and kissing a shocked Dante. Then, they proceed to leave. Later that night, Negan puts on his jacket and burns the baseball bat, with a smile on his face, as he walks away, seemingly forgiving himself and moving on from Lucille. Credits *Rick Grimes *Carl Grimes *Sophia *Maggie Greene *Michonne Hawthorne *Eugene Porter *Aaron *Mikey *Paul Monroe *Earl Sutton *Brianna *Dwight *Negan *Magna *Yumiko *Kelly *Connie *Annie *Siddiq *Hershel Greene *Dante *Lydia *Vincent *Laura *Beta *William *Juanita Sanchez *Mike *Joshua *The Whisperers *Commonwealth soldiers *Stephanie (Voice Only) Deaths *Beta *4 unnamed Whisperers *1 dog Trivia *This volume has the third most issues in which Rick Grimes is absent: Issue 171 and Issue 174. Behind both Volume 23: Whispers Into Screams and Volume 30: New World Order where Rick is absent in four issues. Category:Walking Dead Volumes Category:The Walking Dead Category:Media and Merchandise